Man seeks to return medals to family

SAPPER BERRY COLLECTION.

Photo submitted

A collection of Korean War items originally belonging to Sapper George Walter Berry is up for sale on eBay until Dec. 23 and a St. George, Ontario man is hoping to return the items to the family, who apparently hail from Kilworthy.

MUSKOKA - A St. George, Ontario man who reunites families with war memorabilia is looking to Muskoka for help finding members of the Berry family from Kilworthy.
Dave Thomson, who recently reunited a Parry Sound family with their kin’s World War One medals, has found a set of Korean War memorabilia attached to the Berry family in Kilworthy. He finds most of the memorabilia online, particularly eBay, where the Berry cache was found.
A Canadian war sapper lot, including medals, uniform and pictures is up on eBay, seeking $500 with a closing date of Dec. 23, so time is of the essence. A letter included in the lot from the nation’s department of defence to Mrs. Clara Berry in Kilworthy details how her son Sapper George Walter Berry, original owner of the items, was injured in Korea.
Dated April 5, 1954, it explains Sapper Berry had been accidently injured when a live round of ammunition ended up in a rubbish fire and exploded, causing non-life-threatening injuries to his abdomen.
Thomson is hoping to find the family of the injured soldier so he can reunite the items with them. He is hoping someone in Muskoka will know the family and added he will purchase the items and hold on to them if need be.
“It’s really a great collection and if possible should stay with the family,” he said. “But it’s also something that maybe a museum or the legion may be interested in having as well.”
The lot is only on sale until Dec. 23 so if anyone has information to share, please email netienne@metrolandnorthmedia.com and it will be passed on to Thomson. He explained it’s a personal project he’s taken on the past few years and has had some success reuniting people in Muskoka with medals in the past.
“In Canada we all seem to have found a way to say thank you to our veterans and this is mine,” he said.
To see more details on the items, check out the posting at ebay.com/itm/KOREAN-WAR-LOT-TO-A-CANADIAN-SAPPER-MEDALS-UNIFORM-PICTURES-WOUNDED-LOOK-/221166427174?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_2&hash=item337e8bdc26.